My name is ...

Dropping my car off at the radiator man for the umpteenth time the other day turned out to be a good thing. I got inspired by MR. LUCKY 3 ... i.e. the name of the red band maxi I had to take to get back home. As it slowed down to pick me up, I wondered about the inspiration behind the name. Was the owner lucky? My first thought was that he had won Lotto and invested in a fleet of maxis - of which Mr. Lucky 3 was the third.

As we drove down the Eastern Main Road, my mind buzzed as one red band maxi after the next hurtled past ... POISON ... BLESSINGS ... GOOD VIBES ... and more ...

Ever wondered about the range of inspiring, thought-provoking, baffling, sometimes even misspelt and gramatically incorrect names and phrases emblazoned across the front and back windscreens of our national icons of transport? Who comes up with these names and why?

Join me, my camera and my dictaphone as we embark upon our spontaneous quest for maxi meaning ...

TOMORROW - THE FIRST IN THE SERIES:

MY NAME IS ...

Find out what this name means to the driver of the maxi ...

and note the interesting "cosmic coincidence" that occurs at the end of our little interview!

THIS PROJECT FEATURES A NEW MAXI DAILY ... SO STAY TUNED!

- Happy Hippy -

What's in a name?

ENLIGHTENMENT!

Image: moving the camera in circles whilst maxi and car headlights approach

I often play this game when stuck in traffic

Some people go to far flung regions of the world (well, far flung from Trinidad, anyway) to seek the wisdom of the masters. We just have to wait on a maxi.

When next you are stuck in traffic and the vehicles going in the other direction are not, entertain yourself with this simple and enlightening game. Tell yourself that the maxi that comes along next with a name on it will represent a symbolic message for you (or any other passengers in the car). Or ask yourself a question before the maxi appears. Its name could be your answer ...

Lots of fun, but keep your eyes on the road when driving!

Below are some maxi names I jotted down whilst in traffic the other day. Maybe you'll find some answers here ...

GOLDEN CHILD

OLE GANGALEE

HEARTBEAT

INSTINCT

PROSPERITY

NATURAL MYSTICAL

JOSHLEE

B'S KARMA

TRUMP

BAD IDEA

DAWG

G-UNIT

SUM TING WONG

786 TOUCHDOWN

STAY TUNED!

The project mentioned yesterday as "Coming Soon" is just around the corner!

- Happy Hippy -

Coming Soon

Radiator leak

(again ...)

+

Scorching hot day

(dry season to boot)

+

Sudden Inspiration

(lightbulb over head)

+

Panasonic PV-GS400 Digital Video Camera

(with still shot capabilities)

+

Panasonic VAS Dictaphone

(hmmm, didn't realise I used so much Panasonic)

+

=

what's coming soon

- Happy Hippy -

The Portal Evolves ...

Actually the Portal does an absolute about turn and, for the first time, becomes somewhat "chatty". I don't know why I first started this "blog". Maybe curiosity? ... a Sri Lankan film maker I had met in England at the Commonwealth Awards Ceremony had sent me a link to a blog he and his associates/peers were setting up to update everyone on the after-effects of the tsunami and their efforts to assist their country and people. It was on the Blogger site ... and I found myself afterwards looking to see what this blogging thing was all about ... then, because it looked simple enough, I decided to try one for myself. It was partly curiosity and partly realising that it could be a good forum down the line to "do something with" creatively for Happy Hippy.

I started it on 8th January 2005, which was the 4th anniversary of my no smoking -no alcohol-no coffee status. So maybe more than curiosity, starting this was also a subconscious celebration of rebirth.

In the beginning was: What is the Colour of your Soul?

Another early entry comes to mind now ... one that basically says that if you don't say what something is, then it can be anything or everything. That's why I've never said what this is - but just left it open, as a "daily evolving Creative Portal" ...

It can be anything when I/you* least expect it.

* Who are you? (Interesting - and funny - to address "you" who, on any given day, could be one person, two people, thousands or none).

- Happy Hippy -

Today's words of guidance

dawn
music
catalyst
instant
gratitude
miscellaneous
heal
available
rest
insulation
gradual
treasure
molineau
household
fuel
mystic

- Happy Hippy -

Seed

I ask the Earth to nourish me

I ask the Clouds to shower me

I tell the Sun: "Empower me!"

Within me lies a towering Tree

- Happy Hippy -

Questionnaire

1. What is it?

2. Where will it be?

3. When?

4. How many?

5. What is its purpose?

- Happy Hippy -

The Miracle

(Image: Evening on Eastern Main Road, Arouca)

Imagine you are standing on the widewalk of a busy street, watching cars and people rush by as you wait to cross. A bent old woman shuffles up next to you, staring straight ahead. All of a sudden, out of the blue, something amazing happens!* Your mouth drops open and you swiftly turn to face the old woman ...

You: Do you know who did that?

Old Woman (whispering): I don't know. God knows.

You (leaning closer to hear her above the surrounding noise): What did you say?

Old Woman: I don't say. God says.

You: Did you do it?

Old Woman: I don't do. God does.

You: Are you God?

Old Woman: I am not. God is.

* (..................................... )

- Happy Hippy -

Pause for a Commercial Break

Now available when you open the third purple DOOR to the right:

MANZANILLA
The CD
Music for the Movie of your Mind


(Image: Manzanilla Mansion)

- Happy Hippy -

My Spirit

My Spirit
is a strong and beautiful Spirit.
She is with me always
So I am not led astray.

Where my Spirit is ... there I am
Who my Spirit is ... that I am

My Spirit is Love
My Spirit is Trust
My Spirit is Innocence
My Spirit is Wisdom

My Spirit is True above all to My Self

My Spirit moves me to be as I am
My Spirit trusts me to be as I am

And so I am

Who knocks against my Spirit shall not enter.
Who moves with my Spirit moves with me also.
(21-02-00)

- Happy Hippy -

Thank You

Thank You
Thank You
Thank You
Thank You
Thank You
Thank You
Thank You

- Happy Hippy -

Bloom

Close-up shot from my sunflower garden

Good morning, Sunshine.
The day is open ...

- Happy Hippy -

Something ...

(Photo taken yesterday in Manzanilla; filter applied in Photoshop)

Something as powerful as the ocean comes to lick our feet ...

Something as nothing as wind tells us everything ...

And where something as shifting as sand meets something as constant as sky,

I

spy

with my

little eye

something beginning with

H ...

- Happy Hippy -

Faith in Beauty

There is a man with a bike
Who picks weeds from my garden
Every Sunday.
He ties them into a bunch with rope
And has enough faith in their beauty
To twist metal.

- Happy Hippy -

Heart

Stone found in friend's driveway, St. Augustine

- Happy Hippy -

Map

Many roads

Many directions

One destination

Portion of sunflower leaf

- Happy Hippy -

In this Garden

We cast ourselves about this yawning garden ... we humble seeds ...
To grow freely amidst these adoring grasses ...
To reunite our scattered souls as wildflowers.

- Happy Hippy -

Open

A door opens.
Step outside.
It is an instinctive journey.
Do not wait to understand it.

- Happy Hippy -

Today's Words of Guidance

1. Courtesy
2. Precision
3. Solidity
4. Intuition
5. Determination
6. Amusement
7. Simplicity
8. Honesty
9. Intelligence
10. Silence

- Happy Hippy -

Questions?

Concentration is not the medium for answers.

- Happy Hippy -

Pattern

The pattern of this journey is Light: travelling faster than clarity and as fearlessly as open fields.

Surrender to the stream of laughter.

Let it move into the receptacle of your Being.

- Happy Hippy -

Rorrim

Kool otni eth rorrim ...
Tahw od uoy ees?
"Si siht ym fles
Gnikool kcab ta em?

"I evah denrut
Ot teem ym nwo erats ...

"I evah denrut
Ot retnuocne ym nwo ssenekil ...

"Denrut ot dlog dna nellaf,
ekilfael,
ot hsiruon eht dnuorg
taht stroppus em."

Ni eht rorrim gnihtyreve snrut.

Kool ylesolc ta flesruoy.

Si tahw uoy ees

Tahw uoy yllamron od?

- Yppah Yppih -

Clean slate

bigger

I am as small as Love
Which is too big to be seen.

You are as small as Love
Which just happens to be all around ...

Bigger than the trees
Bigger than the seas
Bigger than the skies
So much bigger

Bigger than the sun
Bigger than the moon
Bigger than the stars
It's just bigger

- Happy Hippy -

What is

See what is
Feel what is
Do what is

- Happy Hippy -

Make It* ...

... what you do

... what you say

... what you give

... what you get

... who you are

... what you are

... where you are

... why you are

*(It = Love)

- Happy Hippy -

Fuel

Empty yourself.
Fill yourself.

Empty myself.
Fill myself.

Who am I?

Who are you?

Who are we?

... when empty?

... when filled?

- Happy Hippy -

The Moment

All of a sudden the Moment became impulsive. It grabbed you and pulled you through the Door that led to Somewhere.

Afraid of not knowing, you held back from flowing, but the Moment would not be ignored.

"Fear not," It said, carrying you further. "Relax as I hold you. I am here to unfold you. Open and find who you are."

- Happy Hippy -